Glass igloos, winter resorts: Fort McMurray chases remunerative halo borealis tourism market
Imagine fibbing in bed in a exhilarated potion igloo gazing adult into a Alberta night sky as northern lights raze above you.
It’s an idea Fort McMurray Tourism would like to see pitched as one approach to tempt visitors to the Wood Buffalo region.
“We’re looking during removing forward of a demand,” pronounced CEO Frank Creasey. “The knowledge is one that represents a community.”
Fort McMurray, located in northeastern Alberta, is good famous for producing millions of barrels of bitumen from a oilsands any day. But a northern municipality is also a primary plcae for observation a halo borealis.
The northern lights seem frequently between Oct to March, yet they can be seen spasmodic on a comfortable summer night.
Tourist officials contend while Fort McMurray is famous as a oilsands collateral of Canada, a healthy beauty and entire northern lights are overlooked. (Graham Whatmough/Where The Highway Ends)
Fort McMurray Tourism recently released a offer for a association to come adult with five observation locations and design a handbill a agency could share with investors.
It’s hoped a winning association will offer ideas catering to oppulance and bill travellers, and domestic and general visitors.
‘Northern Canadian’ experience
The tourism group wants a offer to embody ideas about ice sculptures, potion domes and observation areas accomodating small and vast groups.
The thought could be identical to a renouned Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort north of a Arctic Circle in Finland, though instead of reindeer sleigh rides and bearing to Sami culture, it would integrate Wood Buffalo’s internal and Indigenous peoples.
“Create a genuine ‘Northern Canadian’ experience,” a offer urges. “Rustic record construction, First Nations element, healthy surroundings, locally-sourced food.”
A representation for an halo borealis observation site could be identical to a renouned Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort north of a Arctic Circle in Finland. (Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort)
The halo borealis tourism market is one already crowded, with communities in Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska charity packages and tours.
Creasey hopes Fort McMurray’s transparent skies, a 2,200 hotel rooms, easy access by highway or atmosphere from hubs like Calgary and Edmonton set it apart. Eventually he hopes Fort McMurray will turn to a go-to end for travellers from Japan and China.
‘The whole sky only incited purple’
A week ago, only before midnight, Graham Whatmough was pushing when by a sunroof of his pickup, he saw a sky explode into colour.
“All of remarkable a whole sky only incited purple,” Whatmough said. “The whole perspective we had out of my sunroof is only white and purple.”
Fort McMurray hopes to join a many destinations around Canada who packages and offers traveller a singular Northern wonder. (Graham Whatmough/Where The Highway Ends)
These scenes have turn an mania for Whatmough, a internal photographer and videographer who runs a renouned local Facebook page.
But while Whatmough wouldn’t call Fort McMurray the best place to see the northern lights because of light pollution, he thinks a visitor’s centre is still a good idea.
Fort McMurray Tourism hopes to have an investor’s prospectus prepared by Dec with a offer turn existence in 5 to 10 years.
Follow David Thurton, CBC’s Fort McMurray correspondent, on Facebook, Twitter or hit him via email.
Article source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-aurora-borealis-tourism-1.4369124?cmp=rss